If you have electric baseboard heating, you may have noticed that there aren't many line voltage smart thermostats out there. To find the best smart thermostat for baseboard heaters, there are some important things to consider when comparing competitors like Mysa vs. Sinopé.
To help with your search, we've put together a list of the 7 best things to know when choosing a smart thermostat.
1. Check Compatibility and Connectivity
When looking for a new thermostat for baseboard heaters, the first thing to get right is product compatibility. It's very important to choose a product that's compatible with your home's heating system.
Comparing Mysa vs. Sinopé, both Mysa's Smart Thermostat for Electric Baseboard Heaters and Sinopé's Smart Wi-Fi Thermostat for Electric Heating are line voltage thermostats compatible with electric baseboard, fan-forced, and in-ceiling radiant heaters. Sinopé is also compatible with short cycle convectors. And Mysa also works with self-contained hydronic heaters.
But, compatibility isn't just about choosing a product that works with your heating system. The smart thermostat you choose has to be able to handle the max wattage running through your thermostat. It has to have the right wiring. And, you should think about product connectivity.
Max Wattage
If a thermostat isn't designed to handle the wattage power of your heater(s), the thermostat could be damaged. So, it's important to know the max wattage of the heaters connected to your thermostat when looking for a smart upgrade. This information is usually found on the back of your existing thermostat.
Mysa's baseboard thermostat has a max wattage of up to 1,900 watts at 120V and 3,800 watts at 240V. Sinopé has two options. They have one thermostat that can handle up to 1,500 watts at 120V and 3,000 watts at 240V. And another model that can handle up to 2,000 watts at 120V and 4,000 watts at 240V.
Wiring
It's also important to choose a thermostat that's compatible with your gang box wiring.
Sinopé thermostats have two wires and use power-stealing technology to power the thermostat. But, Mysa has one extra wire, a neutral ‘L2' wire. This wire powers the thermostat, so there's no power-stealing. Thermostats that use power stealing have been known to fail on days when it's extremely cold and heaters are constantly running. This is because the thermostat is not able to ‘steal' electricity from the heaters to recharge its internal battery.
Since Sinopé is a two wire thermostat, it can work with electric heating systems that have 2 wires or more in the gang box. However, Mysa requires at least 4 wires in the gang box to be compatible.
Connectivity
When comparing Mysa vs. Sinopé, it's also worth thinking about how each thermostat connects to your phone. (This is what gives you smart control).
Both Mysa and Sinopé have products with a built-in Wi-Fi chip that connects directly to your home's Wi-Fi network. This is a simple set-up that's common with most smart products.
However, Sinopé also has baseboard thermostats that use a Zigbee hub to connect to the Internet. The hub is plugged into your WiFi router and this is what your thermostats connect to. So, you'd have to purchase a hub along with your thermostats.
2. Consider Thermostat Control
Comparing Mysa vs. Sinopé, it's also important to consider how each thermostat is controlled.
Mysa has its own ‘Mysa' app available on iOS and Google Play store, and Sinopé developed the Neviweb app. Each app lets you remotely control thermostats individually or in zones from your smartphone. And comes with other smart features that can help you save.
As for controlling Mysa vs. Sinopé thermostats manually, Mysa thermostats have a touchscreen while Sinopé's have physical buttons for changing temperature.
3. Compare App Features
For smart products, it all comes down to the app features. Looking at Mysa vs. Sinopé, both brands have core app features like Scheduling, Energy Charting, Geofencing, and Zoning. However, there are some notable differences.
First, Mysa offers a couple of features that Sinopé does not, including:
- Shared Access: This allows you to securely share access to your Mysa thermostat(s) with family, house guests, and tenants, so others can control your Mysas through the app.
- OFF Mode: With Mysa, you can turn your electric baseboard smart thermostats completely off in the summer or whenever they're not in use. With Sinopé, you can adjust as low as 5 degrees celsius.
Second, Mysa and Sinopé's Energy Charting features have some differences.
For example, Sinopé's Energy Charting feature has a 30-day data history. Mysa stores detailed thermostat history daily, which is always available.
There's also a difference in the amount of information available. Sinopé's Energy Charting feature shows your thermostat's energy consumption. So, you can see how much energy your thermostat has used.
However, Mysa users can see a history of ambient temperature, humidity, setpoint tracking, energy consumption/spending, and savings. Mysa's energy reports are available in a daily, weekly, and monthly view, and this information can be compared to historical data, so you can see changes over time. Plus, Mysa sends customers a monthly energy report email with details about your energy use in each room, so you can see how much they cost to heat.
4. Learn About Smart Home Integrations
Something else to consider when evaluating Mysa vs. Sinopé is smart home integration. Two things to keep in mind are voice assistant compatibility and interaction with other smart heating and cooling devices.
Voice Assistant Compatibility
Both Mysa and Sinopé work with the three most common voice assistants: Google Home, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit. If you're a HomeKit user, both Mysa and Sinopé's products are Apple HomeKit certified, meaning you can pair each thermostat using Apple HomeKit.
However, Mysa's app also has Apple HomeKit certification, meaning that it mimics the Apple Home app. So, names, room conventions, and home structures sync perfectly between both apps.
Heating & Cooling Device Control
If you're looking for a smart thermostat for electric heating, it's possible that you have multiple heating or cooling types. For example, you may have baseboard heating in most rooms, electric in-floor heating in your bathrooms, and an AC unit in some rooms to keep cool. Ideally, this would all be controlled from one app to keep your home at the perfect temperature.
Looking at Mysa vs. Sinopé, both brands have a smart thermostat for baseboard heaters and electric in-floor heating. However, Mysa also has a smart thermostat for air conditioners, which can control window and portable AC units, and mini splits. This means full climate control in one app!
5. Compare Pricing
Pricing is something else to think about when considering Mysa vs. Sinopé. To compare pricing of Sinopé's thermostats vs. Mysa, it depends on what Sinopé thermostat you're thinking about.
Mysa's Smart Thermostat for Electric Baseboard Heaters starts at $139/unit. But, with Mysa's year-round bundle pricing deal, Mysa for Baseboard is as low as $119/unit when purchasing 5 or more units. Mysa also offers free shipping for any order quantity and covers all duties.
Sinopé's pricing is a little different depending on what baseboard heater thermostat that you're considering. There's also some variety between US and Canadian pricing. Sinopé offers free standard shipping on orders of $50 or more, but doesn't cover any duties.
Sinopé's Smart Wifi Thermostat for Electric Heating that can handle up to 3000 watts (model TH1123WF) is $104.85/unit CAD or $99.95 USD. And their product that can handle up to 4000 watts (model TH1124WF) is $119.95/unit CAD or USD.
If you're thinking about a Sinopé product that requires a Zigbee hub, those products start at $84.95/unit. And the Zigbee hub needed for Internet connection is $98.98/unit CAD or $79.95/unit USD.
6. Know the Return Policy
Another consideration when comparing Mysa vs. Sinopé is their return policy.
Sinopé offers a 15-day return policy from the date the product ships for a full refund (minus shipping charges) for unused products in sealed packaging.
Mysa offers a 30-day return policy from the date of purchase for a full refund (minus shipping charges). We're happy to let customers try out our product before deciding to return it, so we accept returns for opened and/or used products. Just make sure you're within the 30-day window : )
And don't forget about Mysa's Energy Savings Guarantee.
Mysa's Energy Savings Guarantee
At Mysa, we strive to build smart thermostats that help homeowners save energy, and ultimately money on heating and cooling bills. So, in addition to our usual return policy, Mysa offers a 1-year Energy Savings Guarantee.
For up to one year after purchasing Mysa, you can return it for a full refund if you're not happy with your energy savings. This offer stands for all units that have been installed, connected to the Internet, and in use for at least 6 months. We guarantee savings after using our app's energy-saving features, or your money back!
7. Read Customer Reviews
Another tip for comparing Mysa vs. Sinopé is to read customer reviews to find out how customers feel about each product.
Comparing product reviews on Amazon, Sinopé and Mysa have a similar rating. Mysa has a 4.6 rating based on 1,981 reviews and Sinopé's rating is 4.7 based on 135 reviews. Considering total positive reviews, Mysa has 1,753 4+ star reviews on Amazon, while Sinopé has 124.
Looking at Best Buy review numbers, Mysa has a 4.7 star rating based on 1,316 total reviews. And Sinopé has a 3.8 star rating based on 5 total reviews.
Mysa also holds a 4.7 rating on their website for their baseboard product.
Save the Planet, One Thermostat at a Time
Upgrading to a smart thermostat for baseboard heaters is a great decision for your wallet and the planet. But it's important to find the best product for your home.
As you compare Mysa vs. Sinopé, we hope you find this list helpful. To learn more about Mysa and our products, feel free to visit our website, or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.